After the initial release of their first studio album “The Record” this year, Boygenius followed up with “The Rest” EP six months later. 

The EP is composed of four tracks: “Black Hole”, “Afraid of Heights”, “Voyager” and “Powers.” The EP feels familiar to fans with warm vocals, vivid lyrics and harmonies, all elements the supergroup Boygenius has made themselves known for. 

“Black Hole” starts the album with Julien Baker taking the lead. The chorus opens to an entanglement of the other two of the three voices of Boygenius, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. 

The song initially piqued interest due to the title. The group’s song “Not Strong Enough” from “The Record” opens with the line “black hole opened in the kitchen,” leaving fans to speculate if the songs were connected. 

The song is just under two minutes and 30 seconds long and smoothly transitions to the second track. 

Dacus takes the lead with the second track “Afraid of Heights.” The lyricism in this song is profound and reflective. The song is a perfect showcase of the lyricism Boygenius brings to their work. “I wanna live a vibrant life / but I wanna die a boring death” stuck out from the song. 

In this track, Dacus discusses regret after opening up to someone about her fears, her limits being tested and her discomfort. The song is reminiscent of “Bite the Hand” from their self-titled EP. The theme of not being able to meet the expectations of your peers is showcased on both tracks. 

Bridgers takes the lead with the third song “Voyager” with her signature melancholy vocals. This EP is a showcase of what the group does best. Each member’s style of music shines in each of the tracks they lead coming together to make a cohesive work. 

Bridgers’ ability to talk about complicated relationships is a driving force in many of her songs. The raw honesty of the song sticks out with lines like “I used to believe no one could love you like I do / and I’m starting to think that it might be impossible not to.”

“Powers,” the ending track, and probably my personal favorite, is led by Baker once again. The call and response harmonies on this track stand out. The ending of the track with the trumpets is a perfect ending and reminiscent of Bridger’s work in “Punisher.”

The songs on the EP premiered live during their fall tour leaving fans ready for studio versions of the songs. Dacus explained on Zane Lowe’s show on Apple Music 1, “These are songs that weren’t ready for ‘The Record,’ and then we spent time on them and they are ready now.” 

The work in the EP is evident, “The Rest” puts a period at the end of “The Record” and perfectly wraps up this year for the group. 

Official Score: 10/10

Categories: Arts & Entertainment